TORRENTE SEALS MAIDEN DRIVERS’ TITLE AS STARK WINS IN SHARJAH
SHARJAH: The battle for the UIM F1 H2O World Championship between the Team Abu Dhabi drivers finally came to an end as Shaun Torrente captured the crown after inishing third at the 19th Grand Prix of Sharjah on Khalid Lagoon on Saturday. The Miami resident claimed the maiden world title of his career following a close contest with his team-mate Erik Stark, who won the seventh and final round of the championship. Team Amaravati’s Jonas Andersson took second spot to end a mixed season with his first podium of the year. Torrente managed to bag the honours after finishing ahead with four points in the overall drivers’ standings.
Terming his first world championship crown as a lifelong dream and ambition, Torrente said: “I thank my amazing members of the Team Abu Dhabi. We had problems during the last two races. They (the team) said keep your head up, it will work out. I came from seventh to third and I did just that. We made it work and we are World Champions together.
“What a race! What a restart! I was fighting my mind trying to keep it all together. I was just managing my race. I knew I was in a good spot. I was just trying to get it home. I got a run on the second restart on Sami (Selio) and I just let it hang. Thankfully it didn’t blow over. I knew I was there. I knew I was safe in fourth if it stayed like that. It’s all done now. I couldn’t take another day like that…!”
Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council and Member of the Sharjah Executive Council, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Vice-president and CEO of the ADIMSC, gave away the trophies to the winners.
Prominent among those who were present during the presentation ceremony were Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), Salem Al Remeithi, board member and general manager of the ADIMSC, and Huraiz Al Mur Bin Huraiz, chairman of board of directors at Victory Team.
Earlier, billed as a three-driver battle for the drivers championship reduced to a contest between Torrente and Stark after their
team-mate and title contender Thani Al Qemzi sustained engine issues midway through the race. Qemzi’s hopes faded at the end of lap 18 when he was forced to retire with an electrical problem and finally ending the season in third overall.
“This is racing but I did my best. I made a great start and was up to third before the yellow flag and at the restart I got up there again but just had no luck today,” said disappointed Qemzi.
Producing a sterling performance, Stark, who took pole on Thursday, started well and took
lead from the beginning. Stark and Qemzi managed to hold first and third through the opening turns when the yellow flag came out after Maverick F1’s Sutthiphan Sookbuangbon turned over.
With less than a lap completed the boats reverted to their starting order and the restart was a repeat with Stark, Andersson and Qemzi in front and holding point, but were soon joined by Torrente who was on the charge and had carved his way up from seventh passing Peter Morin Alex Carella and Sami Selio to get onto the heels of his teammate on lap 4.
Behind the lead quartet and after dropping places at the restart Selio moved up to fifth after passing Carella, his race ending on lap 21, with Francesco Cantando into sixth from ninth ahead of Peter Morin, Erik Edin and Filip Roms.
By the mid race Stark had opened a 4.4s gap to Andersson who was now comfortably 15.0s ahead of Torrente after Qemzi’s exit.
Stark was in control and slowly pulling away, increasing the gap to Andersson to 5.43 by lap 35, moving 8.86s clear on lap 41 and taking the chequered flag three laps later to win by 12.27s, with Torrente cross-
ing the line 22.95s in arrears.
Stark said: “I didn’t hope too much before, you know. Shaun is a very good driver. I did my race and I could not do any more. I had some bad luck in Abu Dhabi. That was it.”
Meanwhile, Emirates Racing team’s Tom Chiappe overshadowed his title rival Max Stilz to finish in third and clinch the F4-S Championship.
The race win and overall Grand Prix victory went to Alexander Lindholm, clinching the Teams Championship for Team Amaravati.